Each week, the Independent highlights an animal available for adoption at Baypath Humane Society in Hopkinton. This week's adoptable animal is 4-year-old Chloe. Here is Baypath's description of Chloe: "Chloe has it all — brains, beauty and the biggest heart. The only...
You might not know Pat O’Brien, but chances are you’ve seen the retired police officer around town. Whether working a police detail or organizing and supervising community events for the Friends of Hopkinton, O’Brien usually can be found somewhere in town helping to...
As the mother of a tweenager, Kaitlyn Mullen knows how difficult it can be for a parent to impress their child. Running the Boston Marathon is one of those rare opportunities. “I don’t do much that impresses her, but this impressed her,” Mullen said with a laugh. “I’m...
Hopkinton native Aamir Benincaso is running for the Michael Lisnow Respite Center for the second time, after completing last year’s race. He hopes that his participation will help make strides toward greater acceptance of people with disabilities in town, pointing to...
Hopkinton native Samantha Purpura lives about a five-minute walk from the Boston Marathon start line. Growing up, she fantasized about running in it, first inspired by her aunt’s participation for several years. Now she will realize her dream, fueled by friendship and...
Dan Hausermann last ran 26.2 miles a decade ago, completing the Vermont City Marathon. This year, he is making a return to the distance at the world’s most famous marathon, and he and his family’s love for hockey is driving the comeback. “Both of my kids play for...
Hopkinton resident Jonny Wolf is “right on pace” with his training program for the Boston Marathon. “I have one long run a week,” Wolf said in late March, noting he recently had completed a 19-mile run. “Through the week, I’m mixing in shorter runs and just trying to...
For Hopkinton resident Chris Stevenson, the Boston Marathon is like a puzzle he keeps trying to solve. “For some reason, I just can’t figure out this race,” Stevenson said. “Every year, I come back trying to look for redemption.” With any luck, 2025 will be that...
Until last year, Nancy Burdick had never run a marathon, nor even thought about it as a long-term goal. “It was not something that was on my radar,” Burdick said, adding that it was “not something that I’ve been incrementally working toward.” Despite that, Burdick set...
Julie Colantuoni has been a part of the local field hockey scene for some time now. A member of the Hopkinton Youth Field Hockey board, she also is a coach, and this year she will step into the role of marathon fundraiser when she tackles her first Boston Marathon to...
Although Eric Benson jokes about how hard training for a marathon is, it’s a privilege he takes seriously — especially because he wasn’t sure he’d get to this point. “It’s a big deal for me,” said Benson. The 50-year-old father of three is set to run his first...
There are two things Hopkinton native Thomas Guerra says are most challenging about training for the Boston Marathon: balance and wind. “The timing of the marathon has been the hardest thing,” Guerra said. Between school, work and training, he’s had to strike a...
The Hopkinton Center for the Arts hosted a land acknowledgment ceremony Saturday with members of the Nipmuc Tribe.
The 26.2 Foundation and the Hopkinton Center for the Arts are joining forces again this year to provide unique cultural and artistic experiences for the Boston Marathon season. Called “The Start of Something Extraordinary,” the collaboration brings together multiple...
Until Harlenne Burg moved to Hopkinton, she didn’t realize how infectious running could be. “They say when you live in Hopkinton, you catch the running bug,” said Burg, “but I never believed them.” Burg has come down with that bug, and as a result, the Boston Marathon...
When Sandy Pollen joined the cross country team her junior year of high school, she didn’t realize it was a step that would shape her life path. The Illinois native had started running just for fun, but she soon became more serious about the sport. “It’s addictive; I...
Jason Jones knows about dedication. Born in New Jersey, Jones ran track in high school and started doing long-distance races at age 19. He credits the inspiration in part to good examples. “My sister ran a marathon when I was 20 and she was 40,” Jones recalled. “There...
You can find several ways to make charitable gifts — but if you’re looking for a method that can provide multiple tax benefits, along with an efficient platform for giving year after year, you might want to consider a donor-advised fund. Once you open a donor-advised...
Ronald Wat has a sage piece of advice for anyone thinking about running a marathon. “If you want to run a marathon, sign up early and you will run a marathon,” he said. Wat’s wisdom comes from years of running experience. Now 70 years old, the Chicago-based runner has...
Each week, the Independent highlights an animal available for adoption at Baypath Humane Society in Hopkinton. This week's adoptable animal is 2-year-old Frank. Here is Baypath's description of Frank: “This big, handsome shepherd mix is ready for a fresh start....
